Tori, the Brave: Learn English (US) with subtitles - Story for Children & Adults "BookBox.com"

Tori has always wanted to be part of the fly contest at the annual cicada celebration. But everyone says she cannot fly in the contest because she's a girl. Will Tori follow her dreams, fly in the contest and maybe even win?
Tori the Brave
Kim Sokna and Seat Sopheap
Every year,
the cicadas of the valley
have a festival.
There are contests
for dancing,
singing
and flying.
Tori always loved to watch
the flying contest.
This year she decided to enter herself!
Tori tried to sign up.
But the chief cicada stopped her.
“The flying contest is only for boys,”
the chief said.
“Girls are not allowed.”
“That’s not fair!” Tori said.
“I can fly fast, too!
Just watch!”
Tori took off in such a hurry
that she tripped and fell.
“Ouch!” she said.
The boys all laughed at her.
But Tori didn’t give up.
She went home to talk to her parents.
“Dad, will you teach me to fly fast?”
“But why?” her father said.
“You should learn to sing instead.”
“Mother,
I want to enter the flying contest!”
she said.
“But why?” her mother said.
“Only boys do that.”
Tori was sad
that no one would help her.
’Why shouldn’t girls be allowed to race?’
she said to herself.
Tori decided she would do it alone.
She would practice in secret,
sneak into the contest,
and win!
Learning to fly like the racers
was hard.
Her tired wings buzzed
as the wind blew.
Tori was almost ready to give up.
She stopped to rest on a branch,
then heard a noise.
‘Cheep! Cheep!’
Across the valley,
a mother bird
was teaching her baby to fly.
“Even if you are afraid,”
the mother bird said,
“be brave, and you can do it!”
Tori knew she was brave enough
to enter the race.
“I can do it!” she shouted.
Tori jumped into the air
and flew home in record time.
On the day of the big race,
Tori snuck into the group.
No one noticed her at first.
Until . . . SURPRISE!
Tori was leading the pack!
Tori was about to win the race.
But then she saw a hungry crow
swooping down.
“Oh no!” she shouted,
“I must save the other cicadas!”
Tori bravely left the race
and faced the crow.
“Hey, crow!” she called.
“Look here! Just try to catch me!”
The crow chased her,
and another cicada
crossed the finish line first.
The crow flew close enough
to bite Tori on the wing.
She crashed to the ground
near a thorn bush.
The hungry crow swooped down again.
Tori rolled under the bush
just in time!
The crow kept flying
straight into the thorn bush.
“Caw! Caw!” it cried.
The crow shook its wings,
but it was stuck.
Finally, the crow broke free
and flew away.
The other cicadas hurried over.
“Don’t ever come back!”
they shouted to the crow.
One kind cicada
helped Tori back to the finish line.
Tori’s parents were waiting for her.
They handed her a golden statue.
“Tori, you have proved that girls are
clever, fast, and brave.
You are the winner today!”
“Hooray for Tori!”
all the cicadas cheered.
“Hooray for Tori the Brave!”
Story: Kim Sokna
Illustrations: Seat Sopheap
Translator: Elita Ouk
Narrator: John Rieger
Music: Rajesh Gilbert
Animation: BookBox
This book was created at a Let’s Read BookLab in Cambodia
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